Tag Archives: exchange-traded fund

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ETF View: What’s Next: Telecom-Media Merge Into XLC

Extra! Extra! XLC is the new ETF that ties telecom and media constituents into one exchange-traded fund! For those with a view towards latest and greatest ETF products, eyes and ears are on the Communications Services Select SPDR Fund (NYSEARCA: XLC) — “it tracks the Communication Services Select Sector Index and “seeks to provide precise exposure to companies from the media, retailing, and software & services industries in the U.S.”

etc-xlcWow. That’s a bucket full of precision when considering the constituents of XLC include among others, Facebook (NYSE:FB), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI), Verizon (NYSE: VZ), Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) The good news is that ETF maestro Andrew McCormond, Managing Director ETF Solutions for WallachBeth Capital distills the appeal of XLC, the latest innovative exchange-traded fund and one that might be the FANG-style ETF for portfolio managers who have yet to find a one-stop product that meets their portfolio allocation needs.

New ETF merges tech and media from CNBC.

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If you’re on a path to raise capital for a new hedge fund, a fintech initiative or a blockchain-startup, the first step is packaging your pitch and presenting the opportunity within a properly-prepared Prospectus. The go-to firm to assist you? Prospectus.com LLC. Straightforward, Smart and Bespoke Services.

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Will God Bless These Biblically-Responsible, Sin-Free ETFs?

sin-free-etf-gekko-marketsmuseIt didn’t take Michael Douglas aka Gordon Gekko to remind investors that Greed is Good or that Sin Stocks (aka Vice Stocks) have long been the traditional vehicle to benefit from this investing thesis. Those trafficking in Booze, Butts, the other kind of Butts, Betting, and Bullets (as well as companies within Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio!) are notable components to the leading equity market indices and its easy to pick out a wide swath of companies within  the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 that are selling so-called sinful stuff and performing just fine, thank you. But, even if so-called President Trump made it perfectly clear that crotch-grabbing is permissible for [certain] people, POTUS does eschew smoking and drinking (but not gambling!) and companies whose products or services offend faith-based focused investors are blasphemous to the truly compliant. So what’s a God-fearing or God-loving investor to do? They can go to Global X and embrace The Global X S&P 500® Catholic Values ETF (NASDAQ:CATH) –which has returned nearly 15% since its April 2016 launch (inclusive of dividend) or you can get even more inspired by taking communion with Inspire Investing, the newest exchange-traded fund Issuer that is offering two Sin-Free ETFs.

Northern Lights Distributors LLC, an institutional brokerage firm based in Warren Buffett’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska is the sponsor behind Hollister, Calif-based Inspire Investing’s just introduced biblically-responsible funds; a small- and medium-size company fund and a large-company fund called Inspire Global Hope Large Cap ETF. The Inspire Global Hope Large Cap ETF, symbol NASDAQ: BLES, and Inspire Small/Mid Cap Impact ETF, which goes by NASDAQ:ISMD, made their trading debuts on Tuesday, as first reported by ETF.com. The Inspire Core Bond Impact ETF is likely to launch in March, completing the trinity. The precise holdings of the funds haven’t been determined yet.

The holdings of these funds are determined by Inspire Investing’s “Inspire Impact Score.” The gauge evaluates securities based on what the firm sees as their “alignment with biblical values and the positive impact the company has on the world through various environmental, social and governance criterion.”

The prospectus for the three ETFs filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission discusses some corporate behaviors or affiliations that would exclude a given security from the funds. The methodology removes any company that has any degree of participation in certain activities:

  • abortion
  • gambling
  • alcohol
  • pornography
  • the LGBT lifestyle
  • rights violations such as association with or doing business in terrorist-sponsoring countries, countries having oppressive systems of government, and countries where there are known human rights violations related to the persecution or severe discrimination against Christians, and poor labor practices

As the Bible says “Give credit where credit is due”, this MarketsMuse curator is obliged to credit Bloomberg LP’s Luke Kawa and NYT Dealbook’s Liz Moyer with the coverage…

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(DealBook) By LIZ MOYER 01 March 2017 Serving both God and money has long been an aim of fund companies that exclude “sin stocks” of companies dealing in tobacco, guns, gambling and the like in their investments.

Now, two new exchange traded funds offer a conservative evangelical — what is called “biblically responsible” — tilt to that investing approach. The funds explicitly say in their regulatory filing that they will avoid buying shares in companies that have “any degree of participation in activities that do not align with biblical values,” including what they call the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender “lifestyle.”

The approach is squarely at odds with that of nearly all of corporate America, and there is plenty of academic evidence that supports the notion that Vice aka Sin Stocks provide compelling returns, per excerpt below from Forbes April 2015 edition

Academic studies support the argument for vice stocks that underpins the Barrier Fund, finding the group has “less institutional ownership and less analyst coverage than otherwise comparable stocks” and that social norms have “significant price effects.” According to researchers from Princeton University and the University of British Columbia, “sin stocks outperform comparables even after controlling for well-known return predictors.”

In February, Credit Suisse published a study out of the London Business School that found more of the same. The piece, authored by Elroy Dimson, Paul Marsh and Mike Staunton, noted that Sullivan’s vice-focused fund easily outpaced the returns of a Vanguard fund tracking a socially-responsible index of stocks since 2002.

“[M]uch of the evidence that we review suggests that ‘sin’ pays,” the study found, highlighting the key elements that make vice stocks compelling investments. “The rationale for ‘vice’ investing is that these companies have a steady demand for their goods and services regardless of economic conditions, they operate globally, they tend to be high-margin businesses, and they are in industries with high entry barriers.”

Ninety-two percent of the Fortune 500 companies include “sexual orientation” in their nondiscrimination policies and 82 percent include “gender identity.” For the first time, half of Fortune 500 companies offer transgender-inclusive health care benefits, including for surgical procedures.

“There are millions of people, including people of faith, for whom discrimination is not a biblical value,” said Mark Snyder, the director of communications for the Equality Federation, a national advocacy group. “Businesses have been leading the fight for full equality over the last few years. L.G.B.T. people are part of the fabric of our nation. We have families, we go to work, we simply wish to be treated equally.”

The chief executive of the company that introduced the two new funds, Inspire Investing, says he has no problems with companies providing benefits to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and having nondiscrimination policies. “As Christians, we love our neighbors in the L.G.B.T. community and encourage companies to provide equal employee benefits for all,” said the chief executive, Robert Netzly.

But he added, “A company deciding to spend money and time to pursue a hard-line activist agenda that has nothing to do with their core business is a different issue, and is a waste of investor dollars.”

Issues investing — some call it “socially responsible investing,” which includes the “E.S.G.” (environmental, social and governance) style of investing — has been a hot business in recent years. Major investors like the pension fund behemoth known as Calpers have made it a part of their philosophy, even though the strategy has costs in lost investment opportunity. Last year, for example, Calpers re-endorsed its ban on tobacco stocks, though staff recommended the opposite.

“The minority are a success, and the majority are flops,” said Ben Johnson, the director of E.T.F. research at Morningstar. “It’s spaghetti slinging.”

The new funds would hardly be the first religion-oriented investment products. An earlier group of funds tracking Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and, more generally, Christian, values came out in 2009 but folded in 2011 with just $2 million, Morningstar said.

There are also the $790 million iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF and the $500 million iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF, which look for stocks of companies with good labor policies or sustainable and renewable products. There are also longstanding mutual funds, such as the $927 million Domini Impact Equity fund.

Last year, Global X introduced a fund that adheres to the values of the Roman Catholic Church, and it has taken in $87 million in assets, according to Morningstar. The idea came from conversations with clients that invest on behalf of Catholic groups and foundations, which follow the guidelines set out by the church, he said.

The large-company fund tracks an Inspire-created index of 400 companies it screened to match its investment criteria, which follow conservative Christian values, Mr. Netzly said.

Shares of Berkshire Hathaway, whose chief executive, Warren E. Buffett, has been a major donor to Planned Parenthood, would not make the cut, he said. Nor would Apple, Mr. Netzly said, claiming that pornography can be purchased through iTunes. (An Apple spokesman said pornography is not permitted.)

Companies like Amazon that have publicly supported gay marriage also would not pass muster. “Any company that takes a hard-line approach” to the issue would not pass the test, Mr. Netzly said.

On the other hand, shares of Tesla Motors and Under Armour would.

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What’s Next? A Fintech ETF!

Just when you were about to ask “What’s the next type of exchange-traded fund that nobody else has come up with?, PureFunds has launched a fintech ETF!

If you’re not familiar with the phrase ‘fintech’, you’re likely not qualified to put assets into this latest exchange-traded fund that specializes in one of the hottest trends-financial technology companies.

Caveat: According to 4 Pinocchio star winner Donald Trump, “Many people are saying..” that “fintech” is a phrase associated with start-up companies focused on delivering innovative software applications used to streamline financial industry centric services. The fact is that ‘fintech’ is a term that is applied to the full gamut of companies that specialize in financial industry technology solutions, as evidenced by the criteria for constituents within PureFunds latest ETF product, Solcative Fintech ETF (FINQ).

FINQ allows investors to invest in this fast-growing segment of the industry without having to select individual companies. The rules- based index approach allows us to capture exposure to companies at the forefront of innovation in the financial industry.”

But don’t just take our word for it, below is the press release that just crossed the tape..

SUMMIT, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ETF Managers Group in partnership with PureFunds today debuted their newest fund, the PureFunds Solactive FinTech ETF (FINQ).

“FINQ allows investors to invest in this fast-growing segment of the industry without having to select individual companies. The rules- based index approach allows us to capture exposure to companies at the forefront of innovation in the financial industry.”

Trading on the NASDAQ, the fintech ETF “FINQ” invests in global companies disrupting the multi-trillion dollar financial industry by offering technology-based solutions designed to revolutionize how financial industry firms interact with their customers and run their businesses.

The fund’s holdings include technology services companies that principally derive revenue from the sale of financial-related information, financial data analysis services, financial services software tools or platforms or web-based financial services. Each company in the fund and its corresponding index – 31 in total – has a minimum market cap of $200 million.

“Financial technology is a rapidly growing subsector of the overall financial services industry, and our fintech ETF FINQ seeks to tap into the potential investment opportunity created by these disruptive, forward- thinking companies,” Andrew Chanin, CEO of PureFunds, said. “FINQ allows investors to invest in this fast-growing segment of the industry without having to select individual companies. The rules- based index approach allows us to capture exposure to companies at the forefront of innovation in the financial industry.”

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Sam Masucci founder and CEO of ETF Managers Group said, “The idea behind PureFunds ETFs is to make available – in a single diversified investment – unique areas within markets that have been greatly enhanced by technology. Technology allows businesses to offer new innovative services that can positively affect a consumer’s experience.”

FINQ will cost 68 basis points* and will be equal weighted. It joins PureFunds’ suite of products, BIGD, GAMR, HACK, IFLY, IPAY, SILJ and IMED, which also begins trading today on the NASDAQ.

* A basis point is one hundredth of a percent

About PureFunds

As an innovator of ETF concepts, PureFunds® strives to provide the market with easy access to in-demand industries through pure-play ETFs. We are a New York City-based research and business management firm, serving as the Manager and/or Sponsor to the suite of PureFunds ETFs. We aim to provide investors with tactical ETFs that may offer attractive investment opportunities in sectors that traditionally have been difficult to invest in. With vast experience in global equity investing and ETF trading, PureFunds has a refreshing and alternative insight into the growing world of ETFs. We have constructed our distinct suite of products in an attempt to meet the needs of investors and traders alike.

About ETF Managers Group

ETF Managers Group, LLC is a leading Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) private label services company. ETF Managers Group offers a full range of ETF product services to the asset management community including commodity pool ETPs as well as both active and passive ETF funds. The services provided include product operations, regulatory, financial and compliance management. ETF Managers Group offers active marketing and dedicated wholesale services for all ETF product types and index construction.

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JP Morgan Takes Stake in ETF firm Global X

Big Banks and Broker-Dealers Continue to Carve Out Stakes in ETF Ecosystem

(Reuters) JPMorgan Chase & Co’s (JPM.N) asset management arm said it has taken a passive, minority stake in New York-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider Global X Management Co LLC.

Traditional asset managers have been eager to build ETFs, which are typically lower cost and have been gaining assets at a faster clip than other investment products. ETFs account for $3 trillion globally.

Legg Mason Inc (LM.N) said it January it had taken a stake in ETF company Precidian Investments.

JPMorgan Asset Management, which manages $1.7 trillion, launched its first seven U.S. ETFs over the last two years, raising $339 million, according to Lipper. JPMorgan Chase also backs the $3.2 billion JPMorgan Alerian MLP ETN (AMJ.P).

Global X, founded in 2008, offers over 40 ETFs and is currently developing an ETF that will attempt to profit on consumption habits of people in their twenties.

The company also offers funds based on JPMorgan indexes, including the Global X JPMorgan Efficiente ETF (EFFE.P).

(This story has been refiled to correct to show backer of Alerian MLP ETN refers to JPMorgan Chase, not JPMorgan Asset Management in paragraph four)

 

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Invesco Pushes Canada’s Neo Exchange Into ETF Listing War

(Traders Magazine)- According to the ETF curators at MarketsMuse, “..If you’re going to dominate the ETF space, you should own your own exchange..” and with that,  Canada’s upstart Aequitas Neo Exchange has landed its first listed exchange traded fund in Canada – from mega money manager Invesco, whose Canada counterpart Invesco Canada is also an investor in Neo.

The new exchange, which launched in March 2015,  announced it has received its first listing application from PowerShares Canada. The Invesco-sponsored fund  has filed a preliminary prospectus with Canadian securities regulators for PowerShares DWA Global Momentum Index ETF, and applied to have the ETF listed on NEO.

According to NEO, this listing will be the first in a series of new listings expected on NEO in the coming months, demonstrating the

Jos Schmitt-Aequitas-Neo
Jos Schmitt, CEO

importance of competition to drive innovation and efficiency in the Canadian capital markets.

“With a shared vision of bringing competitive and innovative solutions to the Canadian capital markets, Invesco Canada is the perfect partner to kick off the listing business on NEO,” stated Jos Schmitt, President and Chief Executive Officer of NEO. “We have designed our listings offering to ensure we optimize the investor experience. We look forward to meeting the needs of companies and investment products who choose to list on NEO.”

“We have completed our due diligence on NEO’s operations, including its trading and market data business, and we are impressed with what we found,” added Peter Intraligi, President, Invesco Canada. “Through innovative and competitive investment products, we strive to give investors new opportunities to achieve their long-term financial goals. Invesco is a strong advocate of free market competition, as we believe it spurs innovation, which ultimately benefits investors.”

Invesco Canada has filed its preliminary prospectus containing important information relating to PowerShares DWA Global Momentum Index ETF with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The preliminary prospectus is still subject to completion or amendment. Copies of the preliminary prospectus may be obtained from Invesco Canada and are also available on www.sedar.com. There will not be any sale or acceptance of an offer to buy the securities until a receipt for the final prospectus has been issued.

Invesco Canada is a shareholder of Aequitas Innovations Inc., the parent company of NEO. Peter Intraligi, President and Chief Operating Officer of Invesco Canada is a Director of Aequitas Innovations.

For the full story from Traders Mag, click here

HYG v VIX

High-Yield Credit Spreads, HYG and VIX-Reading The Tea Leaves

MarketsMuse followers have been reminded more than a few times that conventional wisdom requires investors to keep their eyes on corporate bond spreads so as to have a clear lens when considering the outlook for equity prices on a medium-to-longer time frame. The relationship between high-yield debt,most-often measured by HYG (the high-yield bond exchanged-traded fund) and VIX–the latter of which is an often misunderstood metric, is a telling indicator for stock investors. And, those who are experts at reading the tea leaves are pointing to red flags on the horizon..

Courtesy of CNBC, Neil Azous of Rareview Macro and Andrew Burkly of Oppenheimer, two of the industry’s most sensible pundits discuss the cause and ramifications of the recent junk bond sell-off, pointing to high yield bond ETF $HYG as a meter benchmark to in the video below..

John Hancock Selects Dimensional to Manage Smart Beta ETFs

Marketsmuse updates that fund giant John Hancock Investments will partner with Dimensional Fund Advisors on six “smart-beta” exchange-traded funds, according to paperwork filed with regulators early on Monday.

Dimensional, based in Austin, Texas, is one of the earliest proponents of factor investing. They blend elements of index-based investing and active investing in order to predictably exploit market returns and minimize trading costs. Many of today’s smart beta products — from index providers including FTSE Russell, WisdomTree, Research Affiliates — are based on a similar premise.

John Hancock unveiled in its preliminary prospectuses for the factor-based ETFs that DFA, the market-beating investment firm that adheres to the academic work of Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, will be the sub-advisor for its ETFs. John Hancock has worked with DFA on mutual funds and asset-allocation strategies since 2006.

John Hancock initially filed plans for ETFs nearly four years ago, but has yet to bring an ETF to market. However, a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicates the firm is getting closer to launching its first ETFs.

The new filing provides details and expense ratios on the proposed ETFs. For example, the John Hancock Multifactor ETF, which is expected to charge 0.35% per year, will track an index comprised a subset of securities in the U.S. Universe issued by companies whose market capitalizations are larger than that of the 801st largest U.S. company at the time of reconstitution. In selecting and weighting securities in the Index, the Index Service Provider uses a rules-based process that incorporates sources of expected returns. This rules-based approach to index investing may sometimes be referred to as multifactor investing, factor-based investing, strategic beta, or smart beta.

John Hancock manages nearly $130 billion in mutual funds and money-market funds. Dimensional manages $406 billion. Dimensional already advises on John Hancock-branded mutual funds that have $3.2 billion in assets.

Hull Tactical Asset Allocation Jumps Into ETF Market

Hull Tactical Asset Allocation, LLC announces the launch of the Hull Tactical US ETF, an actively managed exchange traded fund designed by industry veteran Blair Hull. The ETF is designed to deliver hedge fund-type management and trading tactics to a broad investor audience.

Working in partnership with Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC, the white-label ETF issuer platform, the team at HTAA believes that the Hull Tactical US ETF will be attractive as the market for institutional-quality equity products continues to grow.

HTUS is constructed to perform under all market conditions, with an investment objective of long-term capital appreciation, guided by the firm’s proprietary, patent-pending, quantitative trading model. The model selects indicators that HTAA believes can best forecast the next six months of return of the S&P 500. It takes long or short positions in ETFs, leveraged ETFs or other securities that seek to track the performance of the S&P 500 based on the model with the remaining assets in the portfolio being held in cash.

The new liquid alternative ETF is powered by a proprietary, patent-pending, quantitative trading model, according to Hull, which drives investment selection and timing. Hull Tactical Allocation LLC is working in partnership with white-label ETF issuer platform Exchange Traded Concepts on the new fund.

To read the more, click here.

French Firm Aims At China; Lyxor Launches Chinese Govt Bond ETF

MarketsMuse ETF update courtesy of FundsEurope.com  profiles French asset management firm Lyxor, and their plan to launch a China government bond exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Europe.

The firm has been awarded a licence on the S&P China Sovereign Bond 1-10 Year Spread Adjusted Index by S&P Dow Jones Indices (SPDJI).

The index is made up of government bonds issued by the People’s Republic of China, with maturities ranging between one and ten years. The bonds are traded on the Shanghai or Shenzen stock exchanges as well as the China Interbank market. The index represents a yield to maturity of 3.2% in renminbi for an average duration of 4.2 years.

Despite the size of both China’s economy and bond market, the second and third largest in the world respectively, access to its bond market is still highly restricted for foreign investors. Heather McArdle, director of fixed income indices at SPDJI says that there has been progressive liberalisation of China’s financial market, offering greater accessibility to international investors.

The ETF will be sub-managed by the Hong-Kong subsidiary of Lyxor’s Chinese joint-venture Fortune SG.

Lyxor had €113.7 billion in assets under management as of April 30, 2015.

ETF.com June 17 Global Macro Conference Preview

In advance of the June 17 ETF.com Global Macro Conference in NYC, MarketsMuse.com is pleased to provide our readers with a teaser of what is expected to be one of this summer’s best programs for investment managers, RIAs and Family Office practitioners who embrace the underlying approach and value proposition to global macro-style investing.

The speaker panel for the June 17 event includes a selection of the sharpest knives in the drawer and last minute registration can be made by simply clicking on the ad banner on the right side of your screen. We recommend getting there bright and early for the 8:30 am session,  The Map: Geopolitics, Your Portfolio & the Quest for Alpha

For a taste of the talking points that panelists will be touching on, click this link: June 2015 ETF Report Special Edition

To secure your edition of ETF.com June edition of the ETF Report, a special monthly publication that profiles real experts and actionable thoughts, please click here

 

Bond Guru Gundlach Launches Actively-Traded Bond ETF

MarketsMuse update profiling the debut of bond guru and DoubleLine Capital’s founder Jeff Gundlach’s first foray into the ETF space is courtesy of ETF.com.The SPDR DoubleLine Total Return Tactical ETF (TOTL) is launching today (Tuesday, Feb. 24).

The $TOTL exchange-traded fund invests in just about every type of debt security, including investment-grade and junk debt—both sovereign and corporate—from issuers around the globe. The portfolio management team is led by none other than Gundlach himself, and will be advised by State Street, according to the prospectus. TOTL costs a net of 55 basis points in expense ratio, or $55 per $10,000 invested.

Gundlach, founder of Los Angeles-based DoubleLine Capital, is one of the most well-known fixed-income investors in the market today, but until now an absent presence in the quickly growing ETF market.

Partnership With SSgA

Last summer, he joined forces with State Street Global Advisors to bring to market an actively managed bond ETF that would go head-to-head with the Pimco Total Return ETF (BOND | B), which at the time was still managed by Bill Gross. Gross has since left Pimco to join Janus.

Replicating BOND’s success will be no small feat, considering that BOND gathered its first $1 billion in assets in less than three months after launch, and grew to become one of the biggest active bond ETFs in the market. BOND’s success was part Gross himself, part a solid track record of outperformance. TOTL has a powerhouse name behind it, but performance only time will tell.  Continue reading

ETFs See Large Growth in Recent Years

MarketMuse update courtesy of extract from ThinkAdvisor

Assets invested in U.S.-listed exchange-trade funds/exchange-traded products reached the $2 trillion milestone.

ETFGI is reporting that, as of Dec. 22, ETP assets have increased 18% this year from $1.698 trillion to $2.007 trillion based on positive market performance and net new assets.

David Mazza, head of research for SPDR ETFs and SSgA Funds, put into context how significant this milestone really is.

“It took 18 years for ETFs to reach $1 trillion and three years for it to reach the additional $1 trillion, with the $2 trillion that has been achieved today,” Mazza said in an interview with ThinkAdvisor. “We can see in real time, a ramp up in growth which highlights how more and more investors have come to embrace ETFs as not just a niche product but one that plays a prominent role in the construction of portfolios.”

According to ETFGI, the U.S.-listed ETF/ETP industry has gathered a record setting $232 billion year-to-date in net new assets beating the prior full year record of $190 billion in 2013. In November, the Investment Company Institute reported the combined assets of the nation’s exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were $1.889 trillion as of the end of October. Current data has yet to be released from ICI.

“This is one of the strongest years for ETF growth on record, and most likely when we head into the final days of 2014 we’ll close the books on ETF flows being the strongest that we’ve ever seen,” said Mazza in the interview.

Mazza considers investor sentiment after global financial crisis as a primary driver in the uptick in growth.

“The financial crisis has a lingering impact that we continue to see today,” he said. “Investors began to look for products that delivered them cost efficiency, transparency and liquidity – of which ETFs by their very nature do.”

For complete article from ThinkAdvisor, click here

What’s Next? ETF for Wall Street Women

MarketsMuse post courtesy of extract from Investors Business Daily..Editors clipped original headline: “Wall Street Women Touch Each Other: BrokerDealer ETF Gals Form “WE”

Linda Zhang, Windhaven Investment Mgt.
Linda Zhang, Windhaven Investment Mgt.

“When you put 40 smart and gorgeous women together, great things will just happen,” said Linda Zhang, senior portfolio manager at Windhaven Investment Management in Boston.

Earlier this year, Zhang helped to found Women in ETFs (WE), a platform for women in the industry to connect, support and inspire each other. The idea came about after she ran into an old colleague — Joanne Hill, head of institutional investment strategy at ProShare Advisors — during an Inside ETFs conference in Florida in 2013.

“We looked around this huge conference, there were very few of us who were women,” said Zhang, who is WE’s vice president. “We were convinced there were other people like us. We thought perhaps we can start something.”

Zhang and Hill discussed their idea with Sue Thompson, head of institutional asset management and RIA for BlackRock. Thompson, an industry veteran, responded excitedly. Soon, others came on board: Michelle Mikos, ETF business development director at Invesco PowerShares, and Deborah Fuhr, managing partner at ETFGI, a research firm in London.

On July 31, WE announced its nine-member board of directors. Besides Zhang, it includes Thompson and Hill as co-presidents, Fuhr as external organization liaison, and Mikos as secretary. Industry legend and securities attorney Kathleen Moriarty — nicknamed “SPDR Woman” for her role in the SPDR S&P 500’s ( SPY ) debut in 1993 — also serves on the board.

In recent months, WE has organized professional development events and launched a website as well as a LinkedIn group . The organization now has chapters in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington DC, Toronto, London, Paris and Frankfurt.

The Chicago chapter will launch in conjunction with the fifth annual Morningstar ETF Conference in that city on Sept. 17.
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/women-in-the-etf-industry-launch-a-group-of-their-own-cm381955#ixzz3AvkOuzeh

 

European Platform to offer best price for ETFs

 

An exchange-traded fund platform service has been launched into the UK and European market to help IFAs and wealth managers ensure best execution when recommending clients invest in ETFs.

Laurie Pinto, chief executive of London-based securities research firm NSBO, said the service is being offered through a joint venture between NSBO and WallachBeth, a US inter-market broker.

Mr Pinto said the service, already popular in America, was important for the post-retail distribution review world as it aims to get the best price for ETFs.

He said: “In America each tranche of an ETF has to be put on an exchange, so you can track the price more easily. This does not happen in Europe.

“This puts the end investor at a major disadvantage. This service will aim to educate investors on getting the right price. The service of best execution is a big part of managing money.” Continue reading